Undercarriage for vehicles



W. H. DUNKLEY. UNDERCARRIAGE FOR-VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED JUNElS,1920.

Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET lw. H.-DUNKLEY. UNDERCARRIAGE FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATIONFILED JUNE 15. I920- Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- L l i.

cries.

UNDEBCAERIAGE FOR VE'H ICLES;

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 19922.

Application filed. June 15, 1920. Serial No. 389,228.

To all whomt may concern: I

Be it known that l, ll ILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY, a sub ect ot the King oiGreat Britain, residing at Dunkambulator Works;

75 Jamaica Row, Birmingham in thecounty of l/Varwick, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Undercarriages forVehicles (for which. I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No,108,010, dated July 17, 1917, and No. 135,760, dated April 22, 1919) andI do hereby declare the tollowing to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

This invention relates to undercarriagcs for vehicles generally but isparticularly applicable to such vehicles as perambulators or bathchairswhich are provided with a handle whereby the vehicles may be propelled and has for its object to provide a generally improvedconstruction whereby the centre of gravity of the perambulator can bebrought as low as possible and also whereby any vibration or joltingwhich occurs at the wheels will not be transmitted either-to the body orthe handle. v

One feature of my invention is to attach a body supporting frame whichincludes a .pair of longitudinal members passing be neath the axles, tothe wheel axles and also to attach the body to said longitudinal. memhers by means of springs. i I

I may for instance combine with a body supporting frame, two pairs ofsprings each spring being attached intermediate its ends focus of thelongitudinal frame members and having one free end attachedto a wheelaxle and the other freeend to the body by the usual. means. i

Another feature of my invention relates "to the manner in which the bodyof the vehicle issupported and the objectof this part of my invention isto provide an improved method of securing the body to the chassisand'also to provide certain means whereby the centreof gravity of thevehicle as a whole lower than is usually the case. The improvedmeans ofsecuring the body l to the chassis consists in arranging that the bodysupporting members or springs are dis posed at the sides of the body ofthe vehicle instead of at the ends as is usually the case.

The body is provid'ed with ahpair of rods which pass therethrough andhave projecting ends, and the upper ends of the springs or bodysupporting members are secured to these projecting ends.

With the object of lowering the centre of gravity of such vehicles andalso with the object of allowing the springs or body supporting membersto have their upper ends disposed at the sides of the body withoutunduly widening the wheel base, I provide improved body supportingmembers or springs which have their upper ends spaced apart more widelyin a transverse direction than are their lower ends. These bodysupporting members or springs may be cranked or curved in a transversedirection in, relation to the length of the vehicle so as to bring theirlower ends closer together than are their upper ends.

In addition I may provide a frame disposed around the wheels of thevehicle. The;

purpose of this frame is mainly to act as a guard to prevent theclothing from coming into contact with the wheels.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1. is a plan view of a pera-mbulatorchassis with the body removed. o

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation showing the body attached.

Fi ure 3 is an end view of the under caran rings with the body removed.

Figure 4i is a detail view. Figure 5 is a view in side. elevationofanother construction of perambulator construoted in accordance with myinvention Fig'ln'e 6 is an end view corresponding Figure 5 but with thebody removed. Figure 7 is a plan. view corresponding Figure 5 but withthe body removed.

Referring to Figures 1:4 frames .7) are provided which project in frontand to the rear of the, wheels and are arranged with their outer bars onthe outer side and their innerbars on the inner side of the wheels (I,of the vehicleso as to form guards for preventing the clothing fromcoming into contact with the wheels. The frames 6 are held together bytransverse rods e andby a centralcross piece 32. The axles 0, 0 of thevehicle carrying the wheelsa may either be continuous as shown or thewheels may be carried upon short stub axles earned by the frames 2') andattached thereto by clips such as d (Figure 4c).

The body is supported upon springs f lwhich are attached to crossmembers f and to longitudinal members f. The mem bers f may be securedto the frames Z) by the cross piece 39 or the springs f-may be securedto .the axle 0 by screws or any other suitable means. i

The springs f are cranked as shownat- 9 so that their upper ends aredisposed apart more widely than. aretheir lower ends so. that the bodyof the perambulator can be located between them. By this method ofsupporting the body a more secure support is provided as the upperendsofthe springs are disposed at thesides of the body iinstead of attheends asis usuallythe case with per-. ambulators. In addition the bodycan be disposed in alower position than isusual as it is able to belowered between-the outwardly cranked upper ends of the springs.

The end ofeach spring f carries a link 'lcand the links It are connectedto the .pro-

jecting ends of rods j which pass through the body of the vehicleand aresecured to the links It at 0. The rods j may pass through the body ofap'erambu'lator below the seats. Instead of links such as it" I mayusecoiled springs or straps for connecting the endsoi the springs to theends of the rods Instead of attaching the handle directly to the body Imay provide longitudinal rods such as m which are connected at a to thesprings in this way the handle is insured fromany jars to which thevehiclemay be subjected, Further, by attaching the handles to thesprings in this manner I make it easier to raise the forward end of thevehicle by pressing downwardly upon thehand-les owing to the increasedleverage obtained.

Inthe' construction illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and? I provide a bodysupporting frame which includes two longitudinal memhers I joinedtogether by a transverse member 2. The members 1 may betubular or of Asshown in other suitable cross section. Figure 5 the members l 'arecontinued upwardly at the rear end .of the carriage to form thehandles3.

Toea'ch of the members 1 are attached a pairof springs l. Thesespring's4 are rivet- ;ed or otherwise secured to the members 1 at 5 intermediatethe ends of the "springs. One free end of each spring 6 is attached toone of the wheel axles 7, and the other free end of each spring 8carriesa shackle 9 which is attached to the 'bodyin the usual way. In the iconstruction illustrated the shackles 9 areattached to the body bystraps 10 pass-- ingaroundtheprojecting ends of rods 11 which passthrough the body 12.

The wheels 13 which may be provided 'with pneumatic or other tireslt aremounted, on ball bearing hubs carried by the ends of the axles 7.

As will be seen from "Figures 6 and 7 the Springs tarecranked-outwardlyat'15 to allow the body 12 to pass down between them. The road wheelsl?)are arranged in overlapping relation as shown in Figure 5.

In practice it is found that the arrange- Inent described and shownprovides a com pact design 'ofperambulator and allows the centre. ofgravity to be brought as low as possible, whilst any jolting at ;theroad. wheels is absorbed by the ends 6 and 8 of thesprings'd sothat itisnot felt either at ported from the .wheelaxles. by springs and thebody of the vehicle is carried on springs by saidframe. In thefcaseof'amotor vehibe carried by said hat I claim then is cle the engine and'earingmay coi'iv'eniently l. a pera ibulator vehicle, a pair 'of axles,wheels'on said alxles, longitudinally disposed chassis members, meansconnecting said axles to said longitudinal chassis memb'ers, a body,body supporting members, the upper ends or said .inembers being spacedapart in a transverse direction more widely than the lower parts of saidmembers.

2. In a vehicle, .a pair of axles, heels on said axles, longitudinallydisposed chassis members, means connecting said axles to saidlongitudinal chassis members,'said axles and longitudinalchassis membersconstitut ing a frame, a body, bodysupportin g members secured to saidframe, theupper ends,

of said membersbeing disposed atthe sides of the body and being spaced'apart' in a transverse direction more widely than the lower parts ofsaid members. f

. Ina vehicle, apair of axles,.'yvheels on said, axlesi,clongitudinallydisposed chassis members, nieansconnecting said axles to saidlongitudinal chassis'members, a body,

body supporting members which are cranked intermediate their endswhereby theupper ends of said membersare'spaced apart ina transversedirection mor e vvidely than" the lower parts, of said members.

,4; In a've'hicl", a pair armies, w eels on I said axles, longitudinallydisposed chassis members means connecting said axles to saidlongitudinal chassis members, said axles and longitudinalchassislinembers constitut- 'bers secured tcjsaid framewhicharserankedintermediate their ends whereby the upper ends of said members aredisposed at the sides ol" the body and are spaced apart in a transversedirection more Widely than the lower parts of said members.

'3. In a vehicle, a pair of: axles, Wheels on said axles, longitudinallydisposed chassis members, means connecting; said axles to saidlongitudinal chassis members, a body, body supporting members, the upperends of said supporting members being disposed at the sides oi? thebody, rods passing through the body from side to side, and means for conlleCllliljji said supporting members to the ends of said rods.

(3. In a vehicle, a pair of axles, wheels on said axles, longitudinallydisposed chassis members, means connecting said axles to saidlongitudinal chassis members, a body, body supporting; meniljiei's, theupper ends of said members being spaced apart in a transverse directionmore Widely than the lower parts of said i'nembers, rods passing throughthe body from side to side, and means for con necting said supportingmembers to the ends of said rods.

7. In a manually propelled vehicle in com bination a pair of axles,Wheels on said axles, a body, a propelling handle, longitudinal membersconnected to said handle but not connected to the body, and bodysupporting members associated independently With said 8. In a manuallpropelled vehicle in cornbination, a pair of axles, Wheels on saidaxles, body supporting members connected a body, at their ends to saidaxles, a propelling handle, longitudinal members connected to saidhandle and secured to said body supporting members intermediate the endsof said body supporting members.

9. In a manually propelled vehicle in com bination, a pair of axles,Wheels on said axles, a body, body supportingmemhers connected at theirends to said axles, a propelling handle, longitudinal members connectedto said handle and secured to said body supporting members intermediatethe ends of saidbody supporting members, and the upper ends of said bodysupporting members being spaced apart in a transverse direction moreWidely than are the lower parts of said members.

10. In a manually propelled vehicle in combination, a pair 01. axles,Wheels on said axles, a body, a propelling handle, longitudinal membersconnected to said handle and having their ends located beneath the axlesand body supporting members connected independently to said axles and tothe longitu- (linal members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM HENRY DUNKLEY.

